4 Things That Cause Me to Panic

You don’t have to be blind or visually impaired to experience panic, but it helps.

For me, there are 4 things that cause me to experience panic.

Subway Crowd — Pictured: The inside of a crowded New York City subway car. All seats are taken and there is standing room only.

1. Crowds. I do not mind crowds in a mall or at a concert. I do not mind crowds at the beach or in a packed subway car. I do, however, mind crowds greater than 5 or 6 people where I am expected to know at least some of the people.

I cannot see who is there or who is where. When I enter a room, I cannot assess the space and know whom to approach. I know these people. I belong there. But who is here? I have been known to strike up a conversation with a lamp, ask a mannequin for directions to a bathroom, and greet a golden retriever that was impulsively snatching food from a table. So I wait for someone to notice me, to greet me, and if that does not happen, I am overwhelmed with not knowing what to do and where to go.

I have avoided family gatherings most of my life. I did not attend my high school graduation, or my college graduation, I have declined invitations to weddings. My own wedding was limited to just 10 people including me, the groom, and a five-month-old baby; any more would have ruined my special day.

Smoke detector on ceiling — Pictured: A white smoke detector hung on a ceiling just waiting to sound its ear-piercing alarm.

2. Smoke detectors. I do not know why smoke detectors upset me so. We lived in a small apartment in Portland, Oregon, and there were 3 smoke detectors in our small place. Normal cooking set off all three smoke detectors – frequently. They were ear-piecing! I tried so hard to avoid anything that would set them off, but sometimes just the toaster would do it. Cooking makes my heart pound.

We moved three years ago. There is only one smoke detector in our current apartment. The first time I used my oven, the smoke detector went off. I have not used my oven since.

Scooter Kid — Pictured: A pre-schooler on a scooter. He is protected with helmet and elbow guards. When he is around, I need those protections too, and more!

3. Kids on scooters. Little kids on scooters scare me most. They roll themselves along the sidewalk at a faster pace than they can handle. They cannot steer to avoid objects in their way, including people. The parents or guardians are often far in the distance, sometimes calling to the seemingly deaf wee ones. These kids are essentially untethered and unattended. When they are headed straight at me, I usually do not know until they are near enough that I feel the air movement they generate. They do not comprehend the meaning of a white cane; they do not understand that their path is not automatically cleared for them. I have redirected quite a few of these speeding demons with my hand or body just in the nick of time, or not. I am afraid those little speed demons just might kill me one day!

4. Public Bathrooms. Public bathrooms drive me crazy – even without considering all the germs. First, they have to be found. Just ask. It’s over there, wherever there is! Too many are too dirty and I flat out reject them, immediately. But the nice ones – the ones that are clean and tidy and everything appears to be in the right place, best I can tell, – those are the ones that too often baffle me. I hate the ones with automatic flushes that flush before I am ready. Then there are the ones with delayed mechanisms to get the flush going. After waiting long enough to feel like nothing is going to happen, I start looking for the flush handle or the button or the pedal or something. Then on to the sink. Where are the faucets? I wave my hands here and there and if I am lucky, a measured amount of water appears, but my timing is off and I missed it. So I try again. Look for the soap. I do not think I even once have succeeded in getting the soap dispenser to dispense. Then on to the hand drier. Sometimes I pull a cloth towel through a machine; sometimes it turns out to be an empty paper towel dispenser. Sometimes I place my hands in a magical place and hot air loudly gushes forth. And sometimes I wave my wet hands here and there and nothing more happens.

Push, pull, press, wave here, wave there, hurry, wait…you know what? I’ll just wait.

OK, VIPs. What terrifies you?

________________________________

Talk to me. I would love to hear from you!

Go back

Your message has been sent

Thank you! I will be in touch.

Renee

12 Kitchen Tips for VIPs

1. Good lighting. Everything starts with good lighting. Use room lighting, spot lighting, and even motion sensor lighting in dark areas, like inside cabinets.

Cabinet Light — Pictured: Motion sensor LED light. The light comes on when the door is opened and stays lit for about 60 seconds, longer if more motion is detected. Rechargeable, and requires charging about once a month with average use.

2. Food Prep Tray. Place cutting board, utensils, and foods on a food prep tray, a tray with a lip around it. You will spend less time searching the floor for things that bounced, rolled, or fell.

3. Stainless steel drinking cups. Instead of glasses that are easily tipped over and too often shatter, use stainless steel drinking cups. They are just a little more expensive up front but last and last without needing replacement, so quite cost effective in the long run. As an added bonus, they keep cold drinks naturally colder.

Stainless Steel Cups — Pictured: 4 stainless steel drinking cups – 2 12-ounce cups and 2 8-ounce cups.

4. Two-sided cutting board. A cutting board with a black side and a white side provides contrast. Use the side that has the most contrast with the food you are cutting or chopping or dicing or slicing.

5. Sauce pans. Sauce pans contain food and spatter better than fry pans. The end result will be the same, but less food will slip, slide, or spatter over the sides.

Sauce Pan Cooking — Pictured: Sauce pan on stovetop containing a large slotted spoon for stirring, and the ingredients for “Thunder & Lightning.”

6. Oven-cooked bacon. Lay strips of bacon in a single layer on the bottom of a roasting pan. Place in a 400-degree oven for 22 minutes. Perfect bacon every time – and without the hot grease spatter. Google will suggest you use a cookie sheet. No! That hot grease will splash about when you remove the tray from the oven. Use a roasting pan. It is deeper and will contain the grease better. Trust me on this one!

Bacon - Oven — Pictured: Cooked bacon on baking sheet fresh out of the oven.

7. Mandoline. Keep your fingers safe from sharp blades by slicing with a mandoline. Not only will your fingers and fingernails stay protected, but you will end up with uniform slices of fruits and vegetables, and more.

8. Spice jar labels. Index cards (cut to fit) with spice names written with bold markers can be wrapped around spice jars and secured with a rubber band. See blog post “Spice Things Up” for details.

3 Spice Jars labeled — Pictured: 3 spice jars boldly labeled for curry, cinnamon, and cumin. Rubber bands hold the labels in place.

9. Bump dots. Place bump dots on microwave and oven and other appliance buttons to easily identify the location of buttons you use frequently. This ensures that you will consistently press the desired button, and you will also do so in less time. Bump dots are available in many sizes, shapes, and colors. If you know any people who are blind or visually impaired, odds are they have bump dots to spare. You only need a few.

10. Spice ladles. Spice ladles can be dipped easily into spice jars and other condiments for removal of just the right amount. Avoid spills and waste. See blog post “4-Inch Ladles” for details.

Spice Ladles comparison — Pictured: A jar of paprika with 3 spice ladles, a soup ladle, and a teaspoon.

11. Double spatula. A double spatula makes turning pancakes, french toast, hamburgers, and more, an easy task.

Pictured: A double spatula – 2 spatulas with a nonstick finish that are connected in order to work together as tongs or flippers.

12. Silicone trivets. Multi-purpose silicone trivets, typically 8-inches in diameter, can be used as hot pads, potholders, coasters, and more. They can easily be trimmed, if desired. Because of their nonslip properties, I find them most beneficial as nonslip pads for mixing bowls, hot pots, serving bowls, cups, etc.

Bonus

Your personal assistant – Alexa, Cortana, Siri, etc. Ask your personal assistant to set a timer for you, read a recipe, or suggest substitute ingredients.

_________________________________________

Links of products and information related to the above blog post. Note that the links showing items for purchase are for information only and are not specifically endorsed.

Talk to me. I would love to hear from you!

– Renee

Go back

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Crochet a Towel Holder

A crochet kitchen towel holder is a simple project that works up quickly. Scrap yarn can be used. Because it is for the kitchen (or bath), 100% cotton is recommended, but any yarn will work.

Scrap yarn, quick, easy. That is a crochet project that is hard to beat!

The kitchen towel holder is comprised of a ring to hold the towel and a loop to hang over the oven door handle (or dishwasher door handle or refrigerator door handle). It will work on a clothes closet rod or bathroom towel bar, as well. The loop folds over the bar or handle and is held in place by a large decorative button. It is washable and dryable, as long as you pick a washable and dryable yarn, of course.

tOWEL hOLDER WHITE — Pictured: Basic crocheted kitchen towel holder, white.

The pattern is given in the links below. Please note that the pattern is provided in both longhand for beginners or those who do not know how to read crochet patterns or for screen readers that do not interpret the pattern well. The pattern is also provided as a traditional shorthand crochet pattern.

Click here for longhand pattern.

Click here for crochet shorthand pattern.

Embellished — Pictured: Two crocheted kitchen towel holders with embellishment for more advanced crocheters. Left: A red towel holder with white V-stitch border around the red ring and similar style white “flower” under the button. Right: A simpler red towel holder with white edging.

Twel on Holder — Pictured: A red and white crocheted towel holder hanging on dishwasher handle holding a kitchen towel with a multi-color print design.

Novel Characters

Confessions of a Guide Dog: The Blonde Leading the Blind — Pictured: Book cover – Confessions of a Guide Dog

Are you looking for a good book?

The following list of novels features characters who are blind or visually impaired. All of these books stand out as great reads and are recommended. This list is a work in progress. Additional books featuring characters who are blind or visually impaired will added to this list as they become known. This page can be accessed at any time under the BOOKS tab at the top of this and every page on this blog.

Click on a hyperlink if you are interested in reading my review.

All the Light We cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Blind Curve by Annie Solomon
Blindness by Jose Saramago
Confessions of a Guide Dog by Mark Carlson and Musket
Girl, Stolen by April Henry – young adult
Seeing by Jose Saramago (sequel to Blindness)
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

10 Knit-Crochet Tips for VIPs

Men do it, women do it, even dedicated blind do it. So grab your hooks or your needles and let’s look at some tips to make yarn crafts more accessible, organized, and fun.

Crochet Creations — Pictured: Crocheted items include hotpad, hat with pompom, scarf, and towel holders.

Tip #1
Good lighting. A task light can be the best tool of all.

img_0288-1 — Pictured: A desk lamp with soft-light fluorescent bulb is designed for task lighting. The head can be positioned and directed as needed. This lamp is directed on a cone of red cotton yarn and a crochet hook with beginning slip knot.

Tip #2
Use chunky yarn and larger hooks and needles. Larger gauge materials are easier to work with. With some experience, common 4-ply yarn can be doubled and even tripled for some projects.

Pictured: Two skeins of red yarn. On the left is worsted weight and on the right is super chunky. The super chunky yarn is much thicker and requires a much larger crochet hook, as shown.

Tip #3
Use large print or audio pattern instructions. (Duh!)

Pictured: YouTube icon. YouTube has many crochet tutorials and patterns in audio format.

Tip #4
Consider loom knitting. Loom knitting can be easier to work with, especially for newbies, with fewer dropped stitches.

Pictured: A pink knitting loom with a pink knitted hat in progress.

Tip #5
Use paper clips as stitch markers. The colorful vinyl-coated paper clips work well with little or no snagging. The paper clips are also great as a place holder at the end of your knit/crochet session. Slip a paper clip through the last stitch, and even the cat won’t be able to unravel your work overnight while you sleep.

Tip #6
Use plastic blunt-tipped needles for weaving in all those ends at project’s conclusion.

Plastic Needles — Pictured: Three blunt-tipped plastic sewing needles with large eyes for working with yarn.

Tip #7
Use a needle threader. Some needle threaders are better than others. The needle threader pictured below is my favorite. I have been using just one of them for years now. I have not needed to use any of the backup threaders.

Tip #8
Keep a magnet in a small sewing box with your needles. This will save you from crawling on your hands and knees hunting for that dropped needle or pin. A magnet holds onto my needle threaders too.

Magnetic Needle Tin — Pictured: A small metal box with two magnets inside, one on the inside lid and one on the inside bottom. Paper clips and needle threaders are held in place by the top magnet, and sewing and embroidery needles are held in place by the bottom magnet.

Tip #9
Store project – all yarn, hooks, instructions, etc. – in a plastic bag or box. Keep a written or voice recorded record of yarn type and color, hook/needle size, and any special instructions. You might add the date in case it becomes a time capsule.

Project Bag — Pictured: A clear plastic zippered bag with crochet project, working yarn, crochet hook and written instructions inside. The instructions card says: Hat, Caron Simply Soft white, hook H, scrap colors #4.

Tip #10
Keep your working yarn in a container to keep the yarn balls from rolling around and onto the floor. A colander works well for multiple balls of different colors. A coffee can can be repurposed to fit the need, as can a shoe box or almost any other container.

Bonus Tip
Replace your sewing straight pins with sewing clips. When you drop one without even knowing it, sewing clips are so much less painful to step on!

__________________________

The following products are presented for information only. They are not specifically endorsed.

Hats Off to Summer

Gray hat - gray shoes — Pictured: Gray floppy sun hat and gray sneakers. Ready for summer.

I have a love-hate relationship with the sun.

The sun warms my heart and my soul. It is also painful to my eyes. I love a sunny day; the sunshine lifts my spirits. I hate a sunny day; the sunshine whites out my vision and I see nothing, my eyes tear, and I feel pain.

I have tried all kinds of sunglasses: prescription sunglasses (very expensive), wraparound sunglasses that go over eyeglasses (very bulky), and flip-ups that don’t – don’t flip up enough and out of the way, that is. I have tried various tints – dark green, mirror, gray, blue, brown, and yellow – all of which have benefits in direct sun, but when I step under the shade of a tree, my vision is reduced to seeing nothing.

I had mobility training last summer. I learned a lot from this wonderful teacher. Best of all, she suggested I try a hat.

So, hats I tried. I started with sun visors. Then I tried brimmed sports caps. Both styles did block the sun and let light in for shade, but those looked – let’s just say odd, not me at all. So next I tried floppy sun hats. Yes!

Floppy hats work for me. I found one that rolls up to carry in my purse, and unrolls beautifully when needed. It blocks the sun yet lets in the light. It even matches my shoes!

Hats off to Karen, my mobility instructor. Hats on to summer sun!

Ready for Summer — Pictured: The author, Renee, outdoors on a sunny day, wearing floppy gray sun hat.

Where Am I

Braille Book 2 — Pictured: A braille book with small binder clip marking the page at about 1/3 of the way down the page.

Print Book — A print book with a small binder clip marking the right-hand page about 2/3 of the way down the page.

Do you ever get lost? In a book, I mean. Do you read a bit and take a break and go back later to continue? Where did you leave off? How do you know where to pick up your reading? How long does it take to find your place? Where is that word or phrase you wanted to look at again, but later?

When I took my first braille course at Hadley (Braille Literacy 1, uncontracted braille), I was given sheets of sticky felt circles to use as place holders, – bookmarks, if you will. I found them to be somewhat of an annoyance. They seemed to stick to my fingers more often than the page. They were not removable and so added bulk to the book. And because I have some vision, I found them to be distracting on the page.

It was not long before I stopped using those sticky dots and started using Post-It Notes. Maybe I should have tried the name brand and not the generic, because they seemed to fall off the page all too often.

And then I found my problem-solver – binder clips! I place a small binder clip at the edge of the page at the spot where I left off. The binder clip stays put. It is easy to relocate, and I always know exactly where I left off – instantly.

I bet sighted people would benefit from these handy-dandies too.

What do you use to help you find your place in a book?

_______________________________

4-Inch Ladles

They look like they belong in a doll’s house! They are so cute, so tiny. They are miniature stainless steel ladles, only about four inches long. They are spice ladles, made for real cooks in full size kitchens.

My spice ladles! Tiny fit into most spice jars from typical grocery store brands as well as those from gourmet shops. I have a set of three of these ladles. One measures a full teaspoon, one measures a half teaspoon, and the third measures a quarter teaspoon. They function like ordinary measuring spoons except these specialty measuring spoons are designed like ladles. The bowl is at the bottom and the stem rises vertically.

Teaspoon Ladle — Pictured: A teaspoon ladle is shown filled with paprika. The jar of paprika is in the background.

These ladles make measuring spices and seasonings so easy, so neat. There is no spilling, no waste. It is just so easy to dip the ladle into the spice jar, fill it up, and raise the ladle out of the jar to empty into the food preparation bowl or plate.

Spice ladles are not marketed as specialty items. They are not priced high like specialty items. But they sure make cooking special. So easy and neat you could work with your spices blindfolded.

By the way, did you know three teaspoons equals one tablespoon?

I am adding more spices and seasonings to my cooking these days. Thank you, spice ladles!

____________________________________

Spice ladles shown (for information only

Spice Things Up

Let’s spice things up!

: Pictured: 3 large filled spice jars – curry, cinnamon, and cumin – all labeled with bold black marker.

So for anyone who likes to cook and for those of us who do not cook at all, spices are essential to making things taste great. And spices are expensive, too, so we do want to use them with some care. We want to be able to use them with some inkling of knowing what we are doing, and without any waste.

: Pictured: There are four spice jars – curry, cinnamon, and cumin and paprika has joined the others. The paprika is being prepared to be labeled. The label for the paprika is on the table, ready to be applied to the jar.

I prefer a labeling system. I take 3 by 5-inch index cards and cut them in half horizontally so that I then have two 1-1/2 by 5-inch strips from each card. With a bold marker, I write the name of the spice across the strip and then wrap it around its spice jar. I secure it in place with a rubber band. With that system, I can keep my spices on the shelf above my food prep area and I can usually make out what each bottle contains. Braille can be added to each card, either alone or in addition to the big bold writing. The label can easily be removed when the jar is empty and that label can be placed on the new jar.

When you are working in the kitchen, add some pizzazz- with spices, and be comfortable with what you are doing and how you are doing it. And enjoy!

How do you find the spices you need?

It’s Me!

Time for a meet and greet!

You don’t have to be blind or visually impaired to experience panic, but it helps.

For me, there are 4 things that cause me to experience panic.

1. Crowds. I do not mind crowds in a mall or at a concert. I do not mind crowds at the beach or in a packed subway car. I do, however, mind crowds greater than 5 or 6 people where I am expected to know at least some of the people.

We moved three years ago. There is only one smoke detector in our current apartment. The first time I used my oven, the smoke detector went off. I have not used my oven since.

Push, pull, press, wave here, wave there, hurry, wait…you know what? I’ll just wait.

OK, VIPs. What terrifies you?

Talk to me. I would love to hear from you!

Your message has been sent

Thank you! I will be in touch.

Please Share

1. Good lighting. Everything starts with good lighting. Use room lighting, spot lighting, and even motion sensor lighting in dark areas, like inside cabinets.

2. Food Prep Tray. Place cutting board, utensils, and foods on a food prep tray, a tray with a lip around it. You will spend less time searching the floor for things that bounced, rolled, or fell.

4. Two-sided cutting board. A cutting board with a black side and a white side provides contrast. Use the side that has the most contrast with the food you are cutting or chopping or dicing or slicing.

5. Sauce pans. Sauce pans contain food and spatter better than fry pans. The end result will be the same, but less food will slip, slide, or spatter over the sides.

7. Mandoline. Keep your fingers safe from sharp blades by slicing with a mandoline. Not only will your fingers and fingernails stay protected, but you will end up with uniform slices of fruits and vegetables, and more.

8. Spice jar labels. Index cards (cut to fit) with spice names written with bold markers can be wrapped around spice jars and secured with a rubber band. See blog post “Spice Things Up” for details.

10. Spice ladles. Spice ladles can be dipped easily into spice jars and other condiments for removal of just the right amount. Avoid spills and waste. See blog post “4-Inch Ladles” for details.

11. Double spatula. A double spatula makes turning pancakes, french toast, hamburgers, and more, an easy task.

Bonus

Your personal assistant – Alexa, Cortana, Siri, etc. Ask your personal assistant to set a timer for you, read a recipe, or suggest substitute ingredients.

Talk to me. I would love to hear from you!

Your message has been sent

Please Share

A crochet kitchen towel holder is a simple project that works up quickly. Scrap yarn can be used. Because it is for the kitchen (or bath), 100% cotton is recommended, but any yarn will work.

Scrap yarn, quick, easy. That is a crochet project that is hard to beat!

Click here for longhand pattern.

Click here for crochet shorthand pattern.

Please Share

Are you looking for a good book?

Click on a hyperlink if you are interested in reading my review.

All the Light We cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Blind Curve by Annie Solomon

Blindness by Jose Saramago

Confessions of a Guide Dog by Mark Carlson and Musket

Girl, Stolen by April Henry – young adult

Seeing by Jose Saramago (sequel to Blindness)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Please Share

Men do it, women do it, even dedicated blind do it. So grab your hooks or your needles and let’s look at some tips to make yarn crafts more accessible, organized, and fun.

Tip #1 Good lighting. A task light can be the best tool of all.

Tip #2 Use chunky yarn and larger hooks and needles. Larger gauge materials are easier to work with. With some experience, common 4-ply yarn can be doubled and even tripled for some projects.

Tip #3 Use large print or audio pattern instructions. (Duh!)

Tip #4 Consider loom knitting. Loom knitting can be easier to work with, especially for newbies, with fewer dropped stitches.

Tip #6 Use plastic blunt-tipped needles for weaving in all those ends at project’s conclusion.

Tip #7 Use a needle threader. Some needle threaders are better than others. The needle threader pictured below is my favorite. I have been using just one of them for years now. I have not needed to use any of the backup threaders.

Tip #8 Keep a magnet in a small sewing box with your needles. This will save you from crawling on your hands and knees hunting for that dropped needle or pin. A magnet holds onto my needle threaders too.

Tip #9 Store project – all yarn, hooks, instructions, etc. – in a plastic bag or box. Keep a written or voice recorded record of yarn type and color, hook/needle size, and any special instructions. You might add the date in case it becomes a time capsule.

Tip #10 Keep your working yarn in a container to keep the yarn balls from rolling around and onto the floor. A colander works well for multiple balls of different colors. A coffee can can be repurposed to fit the need, as can a shoe box or almost any other container.

Bonus Tip Replace your sewing straight pins with sewing clips. When you drop one without even knowing it, sewing clips are so much less painful to step on!

Please Share

I have a love-hate relationship with the sun.

The sun warms my heart and my soul. It is also painful to my eyes. I love a sunny day; the sunshine lifts my spirits. I hate a sunny day; the sunshine whites out my vision and I see nothing, my eyes tear, and I feel pain.

I had mobility training last summer. I learned a lot from this wonderful teacher. Best of all, she suggested I try a hat.

So, hats I tried. I started with sun visors. Then I tried brimmed sports caps. Both styles did block the sun and let light in for shade, but those looked – let’s just say odd, not me at all. So next I tried floppy sun hats. Yes!

Floppy hats work for me. I found one that rolls up to carry in my purse, and unrolls beautifully when needed. It blocks the sun yet lets in the light. It even matches my shoes!

Hats off to Karen, my mobility instructor. Hats on to summer sun!

Please Share

Do you ever get lost? In a book, I mean. Do you read a bit and take a break and go back later to continue? Where did you leave off? How do you know where to pick up your reading? How long does it take to find your place? Where is that word or phrase you wanted to look at again, but later?

It was not long before I stopped using those sticky dots and started using Post-It Notes. Maybe I should have tried the name brand and not the generic, because they seemed to fall off the page all too often.

And then I found my problem-solver – binder clips! I place a small binder clip at the edge of the page at the spot where I left off. The binder clip stays put. It is easy to relocate, and I always know exactly where I left off – instantly.

I bet sighted people would benefit from these handy-dandies too.

What do you use to help you find your place in a book?

Please Share

They look like they belong in a doll’s house! They are so cute, so tiny. They are miniature stainless steel ladles, only about four inches long. They are spice ladles, made for real cooks in full size kitchens.

These ladles make measuring spices and seasonings so easy, so neat. There is no spilling, no waste. It is just so easy to dip the ladle into the spice jar, fill it up, and raise the ladle out of the jar to empty into the food preparation bowl or plate.

Spice ladles are not marketed as specialty items. They are not priced high like specialty items. But they sure make cooking special. So easy and neat you could work with your spices blindfolded.

By the way, did you know three teaspoons equals one tablespoon?

I am adding more spices and seasonings to my cooking these days. Thank you, spice ladles!

Please Share

Let’s spice things up!

When you are working in the kitchen, add some pizzazz- with spices, and be comfortable with what you are doing and how you are doing it. And enjoy!

How do you find the spices you need?

Please Share

Please Share

Tip #1
Good lighting. A task light can be the best tool of all.

Tip #2
Use chunky yarn and larger hooks and needles. Larger gauge materials are easier to work with. With some experience, common 4-ply yarn can be doubled and even tripled for some projects.

Tip #3
Use large print or audio pattern instructions. (Duh!)

Tip #4
Consider loom knitting. Loom knitting can be easier to work with, especially for newbies, with fewer dropped stitches.

Tip #6
Use plastic blunt-tipped needles for weaving in all those ends at project’s conclusion.

Tip #7
Use a needle threader. Some needle threaders are better than others. The needle threader pictured below is my favorite. I have been using just one of them for years now. I have not needed to use any of the backup threaders.

Tip #8
Keep a magnet in a small sewing box with your needles. This will save you from crawling on your hands and knees hunting for that dropped needle or pin. A magnet holds onto my needle threaders too.

Tip #9
Store project – all yarn, hooks, instructions, etc. – in a plastic bag or box. Keep a written or voice recorded record of yarn type and color, hook/needle size, and any special instructions. You might add the date in case it becomes a time capsule.

Tip #10
Keep your working yarn in a container to keep the yarn balls from rolling around and onto the floor. A colander works well for multiple balls of different colors. A coffee can can be repurposed to fit the need, as can a shoe box or almost any other container.

Bonus Tip
Replace your sewing straight pins with sewing clips. When you drop one without even knowing it, sewing clips are so much less painful to step on!